Fire Door Inspection & Installation

Fire door checks save lives. It's the law.

Correctly fitted and maintained fire doors are your first line of defence in a fire — they protect lives, limit damage and buy critical time for evacuation. SkyTop provides certified fire door inspection, installation, repairs and maintenance across Hampshire and the South Coast. Comply. Protect. Prevent. Don't leave it to chance.

Book a fire door inspection → Call 02392 009217

Formally accredited

UK Fire Door Training — Approved Inspector accreditation

SkyTop inspectors are formally trained and approved to UK Fire Door Training standards.

A fire door standing intact in the middle of a burnt-out lobby — the corridor and stairwell behind it are visibly undamaged

This is what compliance looks like

A properly fitted fire door does exactly what it was designed to do.

The wooden door in this photo is still standing. The plasterboard around it has fallen away, the insulation is scorched black, the ceiling has collapsed. But the door held — and that means anyone on the stairwell behind it stayed safe.

A fire door only performs its life-saving function if it's been correctly installed, regularly inspected, and properly maintained. Most fire door failures come down to small, avoidable defects — excessive gaps, damaged hinges, a broken self-closer, missing intumescent seals — that make a compliant-looking door fail within minutes of a real fire.

Why fire doors matter

Five things a working fire door does.

Fire doors are one of the most important passive fire-safety features in any building.

Slows the spread of fire and smoke.

Compartmentation is the whole point — a fire door buys the building time.

Protects escape routes and stairwells.

The most valuable minutes in any evacuation happen on the stairs.

Reduces risk and liability.

Non-compliant fire doors can lead to prosecution, fines, invalidated insurance and lasting reputational damage.

Minimises property damage.

Contained fires cost less to repair and disrupt fewer tenants.

Saves lives — by adding evacuation time.

That's the reason all of this exists.

The legal requirements

Fire doors are governed by strict legislation and guidance.

As a Responsible Person, you have a legal duty to ensure fire doors are safe, compliant and effective. Regular inspection and maintenance is not optional — it's a legal requirement.

Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005

You must take all reasonable steps to reduce the risk of fire, including ensuring fire doors are inspected and properly maintained.

Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022

Reinforces the need for competent persons to carry out risk assessments and ongoing fire safety management.

Building Safety Act 2022

Introduces tougher accountability for higher-risk buildings and places greater emphasis on building safety duties and compliance.

BS 8214:2016

The recognised code of practice for the inspection and maintenance of fire doors and escape doorsets — the standard SkyTop inspections are aligned with.

Who is the Responsible Person?

Building owners, employers, landlords, managing agents, facilities managers, school governors, academy trusts and care home operators.

What happens if you don't?

Enforcement action, prosecution, substantial fines, invalidated insurance and lasting reputational damage in the event of a fire.

Current inspection requirements

How often the law expects fire doors to be checked.

Residential buildings over 11 metres

Communal-area fire doors — inspected every 3 months.

Flat entrance fire doors — inspected at least every 12 months.

Under 11 metres · commercial · schools · care homes

Fire doors should be inspected regularly as part of the building's fire safety management system and its fire risk assessment.

Frequency should be set by the fire risk assessment based on building use, occupancy and traffic through each door.

Correct fitting is essential

A fire door is only effective when the entire door set is installed correctly.

Seven things every fire door needs

Get any of these wrong and the door could fail in a fire.

These are the checks that separate a compliant door from one that just looks compliant.

Correct door leaf & frame for the fire rating.

Door and frame must match — FD30, FD60 or specialist, certified as a set.

Intumescent seals fitted and in good condition.

Damaged, painted-over or missing seals stop the door sealing gaps at high temperature.

Gaps within tolerance (typically 2–4 mm).

Excessive gaps at the top, sides or between double doors compromise the seal.

Certifire-approved hinges and ironmongery.

Every metal component must be rated for use in a fire door assembly.

Self-closing device functioning correctly.

An open fire door is a broken fire door. Closer must return the door fully home every time.

"Keep Shut" signage clearly displayed.

Required by regulations and part of a compliant inspection.

No damage or alterations that compromise performance.

Retrofitted holes, unauthorised locks or drilled panels can void the certification.

Our inspection service

Every component. Every door. Photographed.

A SkyTop fire-door inspection assesses every critical component of the door assembly, its operation, its fire and smoke protection, and its compliance — with photographic evidence at each stage.

What we inspect

Four assessment areas.

1 · Door assembly

Door leaf, frame, certification, fire resistance rating, glazing and vision panels.

2 · Door operation

Self-closers, hold-opens, locks and latches, hinges and ironmongery, alignment.

3 · Fire & smoke protection

Intumescent seals, smoke seals, threshold gaps, door-to-frame gaps, hardware protection.

4 · Compliance & safety

Signage, installation quality, wall interfaces, damage or unauthorised alterations.

What's in your report

Evidence you can defend.

✓ Fire door locations and identification
✓ Inspection findings, per door
✓ Photographic evidence at every stage
✓ Clear compliance status (pass · action · fail)
✓ Defects with risk-priority ratings
✓ Recommended remedial works, itemised and costed

The paper trail your Responsible Person, insurer and enforcement officer expect.

A SkyTop fitter installing a self-closing device on a certified fire door

Our fire door services

Everything to keep your doors performing.

We supply and install FD30, FD60 and specialist fire door sets — with every component (frame, seals, ironmongery, self-closer) certified to work as a system. And we look after them properly from that day on.

Fire Door Inspections

BS 8214 compliant inspections with photographic evidence, defect log and risk-priority ratings.

Fire Door Installation

Professional and certified installation of FD30, FD60 and specialist certified door sets.

Repairs & Adjustments

Keeps doors performing — closer adjustments, frame realignment, seal replacement, tolerance fixes.

Door Closers & Hardware

Supply, fit and replacement of Certifire-approved closers, hinges, latches and ironmongery.

Intumescent & Smoke Seals

Supply and installation of the intumescent and cold-smoke seals that make the door actually seal.

Compliance You Can Trust

Expert advice and full reporting — the paper trail your inspecting officer and insurer expect.

Who we work with

Fire door work across Hampshire and the South Coast.

Any building with a Responsible Person and a duty to protect the people inside it.

Property management companies Landlords Housing associations Schools & academies Colleges & universities Care homes Healthcare Commercial offices Retail premises Industrial buildings Blocks of flats Local authorities

Why SkyTop

Practical, compliant, documented.

Approved Inspector accreditation

Trained and formally approved to UK Fire Door Training standards — this isn't a call-centre with a clipboard.

Detailed photographic reports

Every door, every defect, evidenced. The paper trail your insurer and inspecting officer will actually accept.

Inspection AND remediation

Most inspection firms find problems then walk away. We can fix them too — on the same programme, one PO.

Southcoast response

Hampshire, West Sussex and Dorset. Local teams. Quick turnaround. A named project manager per portfolio.

Clear, practical advice

Plain English on what's compliant, what's not, and what needs prioritising first. No jargon, no scare tactics.

Competitive, itemised pricing

Costed door-by-door with no hidden fees. Numbers you can defend at a leaseholder meeting.

Arrange a fire door inspection

One door, one block or one portfolio — we'll help.

Whether you need a single door checked or a building-wide compliance survey, SkyTop can ensure your fire doors perform when they're needed most.

Request an inspection → Call 02392 009217

Fire safety enquiries

02392 009217

Speak to a real person, weekdays 8–6

Building Safer · Protecting Lives · Delivering Peace of Mind